Hurricane Irma (2017)
|type = Category 5 hurricane|formed = September 19, 2017|dissipated = November 4, 2017|highest winds = 205 mph (330 km/h)|wind type = 1-min sustained|lowest pressure = 858 mbar (hPa); 25.33 inHg|damages = >$18 billion (2017 USD)|fatalities = >2,100 direct, 238 missing.|areas affected = Nicaragua, Philippines, Vietnam, India|hurricane season = 2017 Atlantic hurricane season (kdenny), 2017 Pacific hurricane season, 2017 Pacific Typhoon season, and the 2017 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.}} Hurricane Irma, also known as Typhoon Irma, in the Philippines known as Typhoon 'Isang', and in the Indian ocean known Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Megh, was the longest lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded, as well as the strongest ever recorded. Irma, having developed in the Atlantic on September 18, 2017 before finally dissipating on November 4, 2017, lasted a record breaking 48 days, shattering the previous record held by Hurricane John in 1994. Irma as a Typhoon also obtained a peak of 868mb, making Irma the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in any basin. Irma developed as the result of a tropical wave emerging off Africa on September 16. Ample conditions allowed the wave to strengthen into Tropical Storm Irma on September 19 as it moved westwards. Encountering warm waters and favorable conditions, Irma entered the Caribbean as a Category 4 hurricane on September 25, and made its first landfall in Nicaragua on September 28 as a 140 mph (225 km/h) hurricane. Irma crossed over into the eastern Pacific as a tropical depression on September 29, and restrengthened into a tropical storm on September 30, and into a Category 2 hurricane on October 1, before weakening back to a tropical storm late on October 3. Irma continued westwards into the Central Pacific and rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane on October 10 and maintained its strength for the next two days before weakening back to a Category 4 on October 12. Irma restrengthened into a Category 5 tropical cyclone on October 15, before crossing the International Date Line and being renamned Typhoon Irma. The Typhoon continued its westward track, and reached a peak on October 18 of 858mb with maximum sustained winds of 205 mph (330 km/h). This made Irma the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in terms of minimum barometric pressure and 1-minute sustained winds. Typhoon Irma made its second landfall in the Philippines on October 25 with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (265 km/h), and a third landfall in Vietnam on October 28 with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h). Irma weakened as it traversed over southeastern Asia, before emerging into the Indian Ocean on October 30 as a 30 mph (50 km/h) tropical depression and was given the name Megh. Megh slowly strengthened over the warm Indian Ocean, becoming a Severe Cyclonic Storm on November 2, before making its final landfall as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm on November 3 in northern India. Megh finally dissipated on November 4. Irma was directly responsible for over 2,000 fatalities across the globe. 253 people were confirmed to have lost their lives in Nicaragua, where the storm made its first landfall on September 28. Over 1,000 people lost their lives in the Philippines on October 25 when the storm made its second landfall, and 500+ people lost their lives on October 28 when the storm made its third landfall. Finally, at least 600 people were confirmed dead in India, where the storm made its final landfall. Irma was directly responsible for nearly $18 billion dollars in damages across the world. Category:Category 8